A Thyristor Marx Generator and Its Charging/Discharging Characteristics

A thyristor Marx generator is designed, and an AC single phase solid state voltage regulation module is used for adjusting AC supply voltage. The charging supply is gotten by a step-up transformer and a rectifier. It is easy to enlarge the output discharging voltage of the Marx generator by increasing the stages of energy storage capacitors and switches consisting of thyristor module. There are three discharge types, i.e. unidirectional, bidirectional and free-wheeling types, in the different switching modes of thyristor module. The improved charging circuit design effectively avoids the pre-pulse on the load while charging. A method for selecting charging resistances is given to achieve high efficiency balance charging and circle current restriction, and another method for calculating the power of the resistances is also given. The discharging characteristics indicate that reducing the inductance will get higher amplitude and narrower width of current pulses for inductive load. When the load is capacitive, the real equivalent inductance of storage capacitor plays an important part while the load capacitance is lower, and it is necessary to minimize the loop inductance to obtain precipitous edge and narrow pulse. The experimental waveforms accord with the simulation. This thyristor Marx generator could be used in the applications of strong magnetic field and discharging plasma.